Patternmaker of the Month: Cayden Naughten
This month I had the chance to catch up with CPMG Alumni, Cayden Naughten
N: “Hi Cayden, could you tell me a little bit about yourself?”
C: Hi! My name is Cayden Naughten, and I live on the central coast, so like a little bit north of Santa Barbara in California.
My job is pattern making, which has been fun, but primarily I'm a stay-at-home mom. I have two boys, 5 and 3, and a girl due in August.
So things are getting busy and I don't know how much pattern making I'll have in the next few months, but I'm hoping to jump back into it as soon as I can.
N: “I would imagine it would be challenging to navigate both of those important roles at once?”
C: It's so challenging. I'm just like firing on this sewing project, but then like a kid wakes up from a nap.
But then it'll happen the other way where I'm in the sewing room and I'm like, Oh, I wish I would have cuddled with the kids a little longer.
But I think that because I have both of those scenario, like when I'm sewing, I'm thinking about the kids and when when the kids are thinking about sewing, I feel like that means I have some balance.
N: “Can you tell me how you got started with patternmaking?”
C: I took CPMG last May. I had seen people in the class the year prior graduate from the class and start releasing patterns and just be able to do it.
I wanted to do that so bad.
But then I would think - when am I gonna have the time?
When am I gonna really want to invest it?
And for some reason, that class and that timing, all of it, I was like, this is it.
I have to do this now.
I remember trying to convince my husband it was a good idea.
I didn't even own a computer!
And while I'm convincing him, I'm also convincing myself - like it's gonna work, right?
But I jumped into the class right away. I actually bought Jess's old computer.
She was getting a new computer, she lives like 4 or 5 hours away from me. So I drove all the way down there and picked it up, and I got to chat with her a little bit about it.
And that made me feel so much better about what I was getting into, just like, OK, everything I was saying to convince my husband, it can totally actually be true.
So I got the computer, signed up for the class, but we were going to be in Mexico when the class started.
And I didn't want to miss anything. so I got on it early, and before the class even started, I had like, created my whole bodice block, was working on the sleeve, and I was just like, in love with it.
I just dove right in.
I worked ahead so much that like, I released 2 or 3 patterns during the class, because I just got so ahead that like, I learned grading pretty early in the class, and then I was able to ask questions.
The testing all went great.
It was so reassuring because I hadn't even finished the class yet, and the sales from the patterns I had released had already paid off the class, paid off the computer and I was like, oh my goodness, this is like.
Is this actually happening?
It's successful, and I'm just still like mind blown that so many people sew and buy patterns.
I'm still just like, how are people still buying this pattern?
N: “I would love to hear about your favorite and least favorite part of the patternmaking process?”
C: I think my favorite part is the fact tou can just make something up in your head and make it happen. Especially, after the fine tuning is done and you actually get where you want it to be.
I think my least favorite part is probably grading. It's just tedious or it can be, and it's never, for me at least, it's like never perfect the first time.
My most recent pattern, The Shoreline Shift was the first one where my fit tester told me literally no notes, nothing needs to be changed.
And I was like, Are you sure?
I actually did it right! I felt really accomplished.
N: “Who, or what would you say inspires you?”
C: “I think my son Clay is such an inspiration. Vance is too, but Clay is just so out there. He wants to wear pink all the time. He just wants to wear his favorites.
Vance is big on you know, “I want to wear this because my mom made it”, but then he's always going to accessorize it.
He’s always picking up sunglasses and putting them on, putting a hat on, grabbing a bag…
I feel like I get inspiration from them. It makes me look at my own closet differently.
N: “ What is one piece of advice you have to give to beginner sewists and patternmakers?”
C: “I would tell them to give it your all. And also to get comfortable with failure because it's going to happen.
You have to get comfortable with that little failure, to then learn more.
You learn what you did wrong or you learn how to fix things. You kind of hope to fail again to then learn more.
You learn the most after a failure.
It’s a mindset shift. You need to be OK or find a way to be OK with getting it wrong because then you're gonna learn, and then that's how you're gonna just get better.
N: “ What is something you are loving right now?”
C: “My industrial sewing machine and serger.
I have 4 other sewing machines, and they all have different issues with them, but my industrial… It just doesn't quit. it's just like happy to be sewing, and the other ones throw a fit over nothing.
My industrial serger has 6 threads, so it sews and serges at the same time, and that has been unreal.
N: “Finally, where can people find you?”
C: Instagram is the best place to find me because I'm always on there, and it's literally just my name, Caden Naughten
And My Etsy Shop is also Cayden Naughten.
If this interview inspired you, check out our Confident Patternmaking & Grading Program where you can learn how to draft sewing patterns, and join our network of incredible alumni creating beautiful size-inclusive sewing patterns for all people.
Nat Della Selva
